As St. Louis welcomes this week’s warmer weather, a lingering chill remains for many small business owners. The city’s inadequate snow removal efforts during and after the snow and ice storms that began on Jan. 5 have left businesses struggling to stay afloat. From forced closures to mounting losses, the storms exposed critical gaps in the city’s response, leaving entrepreneurs to navigate not just icy streets but also the weight of financial and emotional stress.
Lemya Sidki, owner of Yemanja Brasil Restaurante in Benton Park, described the impact as “uphill and against the wind.” Forced to close for a week, she had to take out a loan just to cover January expenses. “I ended up in the ER from too much stress and thought I was having a heart attack,” Sidki shared. Her passionate commitment to her team and guests kept her pushing forward, but she emphasized the toll of inadequate city support. Despite her efforts, including salting the street and breaking a path for guests, the ice was too thick to manage, leaving her team to struggle with safety concerns and dwindling revenue.
Laura Leister, who co-owns several Soulard businesses including Protagonist Cafe, echoed these frustrations. “The city’s response was incredibly disappointing,” she said. Her staff couldn’t commute due to uncleared residential streets, forcing the business to close for four days. “When we did finally open, we lost more than 50% of our normal revenue,” Leister added, highlighting how unsafe roads deterred customers and left the business short-staffed. In a desperate bid for relief, Soulard’s Community Improvement District took matters into its own hands, purchasing salt and hiring private contractors to treat the streets.
Kaleb Harvey, owner of Harvey’s Coffee & Cocktails, turned to the St. Louis Subreddit to rally support for local businesses, urging residents to step out and show their patronage. Harvey said he appreciated the hard work of snow crews but noted the insufficient resources provided to address the scale of the problem. “We cleaned our parking lot for guests, but due to the lack of snow clearing, our business was nearly unreachable,” he explained. For a fledgling business, starting the year with such challenges added immense pressure. Still, Harvey’s team found a creative way to cope, crafting a surfboard-shaped snow billboard to draw attention during the closure.
These stories illustrate the far-reaching consequences of the city’s inadequate snow response. Businesses not only faced financial losses but also strained relationships with customers and employees. As Leister pointed out, “Plowing main arteries is useless when residents can’t get to them.”
Moving forward, local officials must prioritize small business areas and adopt a proactive approach to winter weather management. Increased funding, public-private partnerships, and better resource allocation are critical to ensuring that businesses can weather future storms. Despite the setbacks, business owners remain resilient, driven by their love for their craft and their communities. As Sidki put it, “We love our restaurant, our team, and most of all, our guests.”
This winter’s storms may have tested the limits of St. Louis’s small businesses, but their perseverance underscores the strength of local entrepreneurs who refuse to give up. Now, as the snow begins to melt, there’s no better time to show your support. Explore that coffee shop you’ve been meaning to try, enjoy a meal out with friends and reconnect with the places that define the heart of our communities while helping them recover from this challenging season.
